Here are the data sheets for a commonly used oil, Mobil 1 synthetic

0W-20 Mobil 1? 0W-20

5W-20 http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...l_1_5W-20.aspx

Viscosity at 100C is identical, which is only slightly above the normal operating temp on this motor, as far as I can tell.

So I would not worry about 0W20 being a problem, and in fact, can only help over 5W20.

If you are mercilessly beating on your car on the track on a hot day, maybe run a 30 weight, but 99% of Fit owners don't need to worry about that.

 

Tell you what guys/gals...I'll stick with what Honda suggest, and have done so for many years with no issues. This oil question comes up all the time, and it gets bogged down from strangers on the forums suggesting one thing, and another. I don't know them, so I'll stick to the professionals that I'll give a serious thought to..

 

It is really logic, and common sense. Which will cool faster, a hot pan of water or a hot pan of syrup...cars did not even have a filter until into the late 40s, then to the late 50s before spin on filters. Dinosaur oil is a base fossil fuel, then additives are added for stability, then detergent to keep dirt suspended so it will go thru the filter. Full synthetic is all man made chemicals to do what it is engineered to do. Keep cool and be a cushion to go between very close tolerances. the 50s it took a quart of 30 weight oil to 2 1/2 gallons of gas for a 2 cycle engine...now some run at 100 to 1....just science
Big trucks run gallons of 5W40 because they run from Arizona 105 degrees to northern Maine at zero or below....then a hundred thousand miles or more between changes....
I am a 50+ year mechanic and a degree in electro/mechanical engineering.....My first car was a 39 chev 2 door....oil was 10 cents a quart....we've come a long way.....

 

I have about 150 miles on my Fit - quite a change from the 2003 VW Jetta GLX Sport Wagon, which got me through a faithful 197,000 miles and was still going.....and going...and going.

I see Honda recommends 0-20 oil. My oh my, that is mighty thin. I think they recommend the "0" to get a good milage number in their fleet.

How about going to a 5-20 synthetic? Any more protection? I know the milage numbers will be right in there. I ran 10-30 Pennzoil (regular oil) in the Jetta and no smoke or oil usage at all. I know, its a different beast for sure.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

Ow or 5w is the thickness of the old when the engine and oil is cold which makes for easier starting. Those numbers have nothing to do with mpg. The 20 number has to do with the oil thickness when the engine is hot. Since both oils that you asked about are 20 there should be no difference in mpg when running down the road.

 

I would wait until 10k to 15k miles before switching to synthetic. That could actually end up being the first oil change

 

0-20 is a synthetic. Changing to a synthetic of a different weight won't benefit you as much as staying with the synthetic specified.

 

Yes, both oils have the same viscosity at operating temperature. There's no real benefit to running 5w20 over 0w20. The engine is designed to use that weight oil, so just use the recommended.

Honda recommends pretty fiercly to keep the factory oil fill in for at least 5k miles, but they'd like you to keep it in until the maintenance minder tells you to change it. At that point feel free to switch to full synthetic.

The factory fill is semi-synthetic I believe, there is no such things as a 20 weight dino oil and some synthetics are required to make it that thin.

 

Just use what's recommended. Honda did the testing and took the guesswork out of maintenance for the car.

With much tighter tolerances, running an oil that is too thick at cold temps could cause extra wear.

A less viscous oil at low temps would flow quicker than a more viscous oil. This should offer more protection.

 

5w20 is thicker at operating temperature than 0w20, it's not only intuitive, it's a known fact and is documents in many sources. The raitings are only approximations and the actual viscosity and other characteristics of oils differ even among the ones with the same label.

For more protection, I use 5w20, 0w20 is awfully thin and is indeed recommended mostly as an environmental effort to increase average fleet's fuel economy rating.
Honda recommends much thicker oil for the same engines in Europe, so it's not about engine construction.

Do not wait too long to get rid of the original oil filled at the factory. You want to get metal particles, gasket material and other junk out of the oil system. I changed mine at 600 miles and used mineral oil for the next oil change until about 5K miles. After that I began using 5w20 Mobil 1 F.S.

To each their own.

 

Here we go. Someone thinks they know better than Honda whon spent MILLIONS of dollar developing this motor. Sounds like the Grom forum all over again....

when they void your warranty let me know how it goes.

 

With comments like this, please do not reply to me again. Thanks.

 

Then dont give people misimformation. Once you spread bad info on a forum its like a plauge.

 

To be clear, I gave no information. I asked a question. Thanks again.

 

i am partial to Hello Kitty oil...


seriously though, depending on your location/weather, 5w/20 could work. personally, i bought 0w/20 in bulk since 2 of my vehicles use it. i will continues to use that until i run out then will reevaluate the oil situation.

 

5w20 would be fine.

However....it wouldn't really do anything dramatic for your car.

Also mecevans, OP simply posed a question, he did not spread misinformation.

 

did a second oil change on the fit yesterday. this time i did it in the driveway. still one of the simpler oil changes, except for that damn plastic tray. those metal and plastic screws are destined to be stripped/broken.

 

I did my first change yesterday, and agree about the way the tray is secured. That's not gonna last 200,000 miles, and doubtfully even 100,000.

es

 

Soon as I change my oil in the car I will take look at the screws and see what replacement screws we can use that is easier to remove by hand. If not then a bag of replacements should be kept in the tool box.

 

I had 5000 miles on my purple EX manual. Oil life monitor said 60 percent left. Could not wait. Went ahead and changed oil and filter this week. Mobile 1 0W20